Connection for battery terminals or the like



Dec. 22, 1931. F. SPARROW 1,838,024

CONNECTION FOR BATTERY TERMINALS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 13, 1928 W MMPatented @ee. 22, 11933.

D STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK SPARROW, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. A. MATHEWS AND H. M. MATHEWS, BOTH 015 LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA CONNECTION FOR BATTERY TERMINALS OR THE LIKE Thisinvention has to do with a device for spread or somewhat sprung afterthe clamp making an electrical connection, and its a primary object ofthe invention to provide a device for making connection with a bindingpost or terminal such as the terminal of a storage battery, or the like.

Various electrical devices and particularly storage batteries of thegeneral type used in motor vehicles, and the like, are provided In withterminals to which the electrical conductors or cables are adapted to beconnected.

In practice the terminals of storage batteries of the charactermentioned vary in diiferent makes'of batteries. In some cases the.variation is in the diameter of the terminaL' In other cases it is inthe shape or taper. The battery terminals are usually made fairly largeor heavy as they are subject to corrosion and they are usually madetapered to facilitate the removal of the connecting devices thatfrequently become tightly corroded on them.

It is common practice to provide connecting devices for batteryterminals in the form of split clamps adapted to more or less closelyfit the terminals when new and clean and adapted to be made tight by aclamping bolt. These clamps are usually in the form of castings open atone side to allow them to be tightened or clamped onto the terminalsthrough the action of the clamping bolt. This form of connection inorder to be effective must have a fairly accurate fit with the terminal.With the split clamp type of connector now in use it is'necessary toprovide many different forms and styles of clamps to accommodate thedifferent sizes and shapes of battery terminals. Further with this splitclamp type of connector it is often diflicult to make the properconnection with a terminal and have the connector positioned so thatthere is no interference with other parts such as the battery handles,mounting means, etc. Further, it is found that this split clamp type ofconnector frequently becomes tightly corroded to the terminal and eventhough the clamp bolt is released it is difiicult and in some casesimpossible to get the connector 03. This is a parent as the split clampmust necessarily e bolt is released.

It is an object of this invention to provide a terminal connectorapplicable to terminals of various sizes and shapes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a terminal connector,which is of simple, inexpensive formation and which is simple andconvenient to use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a terminal connectorthat can be readily removed from a terminal regardless of corrosion thatmay have taken place at the terminal and connector.

It is an object of this invention to provide a battery connector thatcan be effectively applied to a terminal in various positions to avoidinterference with surrounding parts.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and morefully understood from the following detailed description of typicalforms and applications of the invention, throughout which descriptionreference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which: c

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a typical storage battery showingconnectors provided by my invention applied to the terminals.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the connector provided by myinvention showingit applied to a terminal.

Fig. 3 is a view taken as indicated by line 33, on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a View taken as indicated by line 4-4, on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by line 55, on Fig.2, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another form of theinvention.

The connector provided by this invention is adapted to be applied toterminals or binding posts for the purpose of making electricalconnection therewith. The connector is particularly useful in connectionwith terminals such as are found on storage batteries, and the like, andtherefore, I will proceed to describe the invention in this connection,it being understood that the invention is not to be construed asspecifically limited to this particular application.

In the drawings I have disclosed a typical form of storage battery 10having binding posts or terminals 11. The battery is carried in a case12provided at its ends with handles 13. In accordance with the usualarrangement of parts the terminals 11 project upwardly from the top ofthe battery and are located near the ends of the battery where they arein the vicinity of the handles 13 The connector provided by my inventionis intended to make a suitable electrical connection between a conductoror cable 14 and a terminal such as one of the terminals 11. Theconnector includes, generally, a body 15, a U-clamp 16 carried by thebody and adapted to engage around the terminal 11, a nut 17 applied tothe U-clamp for tightening the body and clamp on the terminal 11 and asocket 18 in connection with the body for receiving the end of the cable14.

The body 15 of the device may be a flat plate-like part having one sideadapted to engage the side of the terminal 11. In the preferred form ofthe invention a pad or seat 20 is provided at the front or terminalengaging side of the body to receive the terminal. The seat 20 ispreferably concave, in which case it is desirable to form the seat on aradius less than the radius of the battery terminals to be engaged sothat the seat has spaced parts bearing on the terminal when appliedthereto as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings. Further in practice the seat20 may be roughened or provided with projecting parts or teeth 21 whichoperate to bite into the terminal when the body is applied thereto.

The U-bolt 16 provided for holding the body to the terminal may be asimple form of U-bolt having a curved part 25 adapted to fit or extendaround the terminal and spaced side parts 26 and 27 adapted to becarried by the body 15.

In accordance with my invention the spaced side parts 26 and 27 of theU-bolt extend through the body and one of them is threaded to receivethe clamping nut 17. Side part 27 projects through the body 15 and theclamping nut 17 is applied to the projecting end of said part to engagethe rear face of the body. The body 15 is constructed to pass the sideparts of the U-bolt. In the construction shown the body has spacedopenings 30 which more or less freely pass the parts of the bolt asshown throughout the drawings. The side part 26 of the bolt projects asubstantial distance through the body so that the bolt will have thedesired holding action as will be hereinafter described.

The socket 18 provided for receiving the end of the terminal 14 may bein the form of an enlargement on one end of the body, for instance, atthe end of the body receiving the side part 26 of the clamp bolt 16. Thesocket 18 is provided with an opening 31 in which the end of the cable14 may be sweated or otherwise made secure.

In using the connector it is applied to a terminal 11 in the mannershown in the drawings; the nut 17 being tightened to draw the curvedpart 25 of the bolt toward the body 15, so that the body and bolttightly grip the terminal. In the course of tightening the nut 17 thebolt may turn or cramp somewhat to one side, however, I have found thatthe single clamp nut 17 is effective and suiticient to establish a tightand efiicient connection between the body 15 and the terminal 11.

It will be apparent that the connector can be efiectively applied toterminals of different diameters and that it is effective on terminalsthat are straight or tapered. By my invention I have thus provided asimple, practical and effective connector that is universal inapplication to terminals such as are found on storage batteries. When itis desired to detach the connector from the terminal 11 the nut 17 isloosened on or removed from the side part 27, whereupon, the connectorand body are loose and easily detachable from the terminal. If the partsare found to be tightly corroded to the terminal it is a very simplematter to drive the U-bolt by hammering on the ends of the side parts 26and 27 and when the U-bolt is released it is a very simple matter todislodge the body 15. In applying the connector to a terminal it can beturned or faced in either direction, thus allowing it to be ositioned toaccommodate or avoid inter ering parts, such as the handles 13.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, I disclose a somewhat modified form of theinvention in which the side part 26 of the bolt has its projecting endturned to form a hook 40 adapted to engage the body 15 or the socket 18,which may be considered a part of the body. The end or hook part 40 inbeing thus engaged with the body provides a means of holding the end 26so that it cannot-be displacedfrom the opening in the body and limits orrestricts the movements of the side parts 26 as the nut 17 is tightenedto clamp the bolt and bod to a terminal.

Having described only a typical preferred form of invention I do notwish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish toreserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to thoseskilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A terminal connector of the character described including a rigidbody to engage one side of a terminal, a cable socket on one end of thebody disposed longitudinally of the body, a U-bolt to directly engagearound the terminal and having its side @parts pro jecting through thebody, and a clamp nut threaded on one side part of the bolt to engagethe body.

2. A terminal connector of the character described including a rigidflat body having a seat on one side to engage one side of a terminal, acable socket on one end of the body, a U-bolt to directly engage aroundthe terminal and having its side parts projecting through the body, aclamp nut threaded on one side of the bolt to engage the body, and meansconnecting the other side part of the bolt with the body.

3. A terminal connector of the character described including a body toengage one side of a terminal, a cable socket on the body, a U-bolt toengage around the terminal and having its side parts projecting throughopenings in the body, a clamp nut threaded on one side part of the boltto engage the body, and a hook part on the end of the other side part ofthe bolt that projects through one of the openings in the body the hookpart engaging the body.

4. A battery terminal connector including a body in the form of a plate,a toothed semi-circular seat in one side of the body to engage a batteryterminal, a cable socket on one end of the body disposed longitudinallyof the body, a U-bolt to engage around the terminal and having its sideparts extending transversely through 0 enings in the body, a clamp nutthreade on one side part of the U-bolt to engage a side of the body, theother side part being carried in one of the body openings to bindtherein when the connector is applied to a battery terminal.

5. A-terminal connector of the character described including, a rigidbody to engage one side of a terminal, a U-bolt to engage around theterminal and having its side parts projecting through openings in thebody, and a clamp nut threaded on one side part of the bolt to engagethe body, the other side part of the bolt being related to the bodyopening that receives it so that it binds in said opening.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 2nd day of February, 1928.

FREDERICK SPARROW.

